"Is this still not enough? Tu Yuan is worth no more than a single seventh-grade Phoenix Blood Pill. How greedy."

"Exactly. A seventh-grade Phoenix Blood Pill gives an 80% chance of granting the Fire Phoenix bloodline. For body-refining cultivators, it is an extremely precious treasure."

"Right, he's far too greedy..."

The others continued to murmur among themselves.

However, Lin Zheyu remained unmoved. The Fire Phoenix bloodline did tempt him somewhat, but it only extended lifespan by about twenty years and improved recovery by roughly 30%. To him, it was nothing remarkable.

"May I ask what conditions Fellow Daoist Xiao requires to spare Tu Yuan?" Ji Zitong smiled faintly, her thoughts unreadable.

"I have not decided yet. Let me keep this favor for now. I will name the condition when I think of it," Lin Zheyu replied calmly.

From the reactions of others, the Ji Family's reputation seemed quite reliable. Taking this opportunity to have Ji Zitong owe him a favor was a good choice. Lin Zheyu had no intention of using it to demand anything excessive. He only wanted to use her as a bridge to access the cultivation world's core circles.

"Of course," Ji Zitong said with a gentle smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Her delicate, fair face, paired with that pleasing smile, made the male cultivators around her glance over more than once.

Lin Zheyu tossed Tu Yuan over and said indifferently, "Alright. Here."

In any case, he had already taken all of Tu Yuan's storage pouches. Although his escape techniques were remarkable, without his dharma artifacts, Lin Zheyu did not think he posed much of a threat.

"Many thanks, Fellow Daoist Xiao," Ji Zitong said with a smile.

With a light wave of her right hand, the tightly bound Tu Yuan, restrained by dharma artifact ropes, fell into her grasp. Ji Zitong smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Xiao, would you be willing to walk with me? I have a matter I would like your help with."

"Alright." Lin Zheyu nodded slightly, then looked at Lei Yunshu and asked, "Miss Lei, would you like to join us?"

Lei Yunshu exchanged a glance with her two companions and agreed. "Mm."

She had a favorable impression of Lin Zheyu. Since even Ji Zitong wanted to befriend him, she naturally would not miss the opportunity. The group left the crowd and moved swiftly into the distance. Liao Xingfan, Yuan Qiu, and Lei He frowned as they watched. They wanted to pursue, but in the end, they shook their heads and gave up. The Ji Family was powerful. With Ji Zitong, Tu Yuan, and that mysterious immortal martial expert, even if they caught up, they would not be a match.

"A powerful yao is approaching. Move! Head deeper into the demon god barrier. Find a good position and wait for the rule fragments to descend," Yuan Qiu said in a low voice.

The three exchanged a glance, then moved and vanished in an instant. The fight never broke out, leaving the onlooking cultivators rather disappointed. There was no chance to profit from the chaos.

As Lin Zheyu and the others departed, the crowd gradually dispersed. Still, a few unwilling cultivators lingered behind. After the others left, they quietly slipped into the demonic river, hoping to find something of value.

***

"May I ask what matter Miss Ji has in mind?" Lin Zheyu asked curiously as he and Ji Zitong stepped aside. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Ji Zitong formed a hand seal with her right hand, and a blue-green energy barrier suddenly appeared around them, enclosing them.

"It concerns the rule fragments. Although their descent is not tied to strength, the location and region do affect the probability. I know of a place where there is a 60% chance that rule fragments will descend. However, that area is quite dangerous, so I would like to join forces with you," Ji Zitong said slowly.

"Could you explain in more detail?" Lin Zheyu asked after a moment of hesitation. Ji Zitong's reputation seemed good, but he had not let his guard down.

"Sorry. Since it involves rule fragments, I cannot disclose the location of that area in advance," Ji Zitong replied.

"What is it that Miss Ji sees in me? With the strength of the Ji Family, finding a few powerful cultivators should not be difficult, right?" Lin Zheyu asked. This was the real reason for his hesitation.

"It seems Fellow Daoist Xiao truly knows very little about rule fragments," Ji Zitong said with a smile.

From the moment she met Lin Zheyu, she had been observing him closely. From his words, expressions, and reactions, she could tell he was not lying. Moreover, he had no reason to pretend ignorance.

"I am merely a rogue cultivator, with nothing compared to Miss Ji's background. Please excuse me," Lin Zheyu said with a smile, unconcerned.

"Rogue cultivator or not, with your strength, you would stand out even among the descendants of esteemed families."

Ji Zitong smiled and continued, "The descent of rule fragments occurs when a region within the demon god barrier is completely transformed into demon-tainted soil. It is this world's final act of resistance.

"At that time, a vast spiritual energy storm will rise within the demon god barrier, greatly affecting cultivators. As a martial artist who cultivates the Immortal Martial Cultivation path, you have stronger adaptability to such energy storms than ordinary cultivators. That is why I am inviting you.

"Aside from you, I have also invited several friends. Tu Yuan is one of them. Furthermore, the collision of the heavenly laws of the two worlds will produce overwhelming pressure. The stronger one is, the more pronounced the effect. Experts above the Golden Core realm will be affected the most, their strength suppressed to roughly that of peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. That is also why, despite the space-time node being open for so long, Golden Core realm yao rarely appear within the demon god barrier," Ji Zitong explained slowly.

Only when regions within the demon god barrier were completely transformed into demon-tainted soil would the yao from the other side of the space-time node launch large-scale invasions. Truly powerful yao remained near the space-time node, guarding it from being closed. In other regions of the barrier, it was rare to see yao above the seven-pattern level.

"I see. I am afraid I must disappoint you. I am merely a rogue cultivator and have little desire for rule fragments. I came here only for adventure and to broaden my horizons," Lin Zheyu said after a moment of thought, declining the offer.

He felt it was still too dangerous to decide based solely on Ji Zitong's words. He needed to ask Lei Yunshu about Ji Zitong's character and gather more details about the descent of rule fragments before making a decision.

"Do not refuse so quickly, Fellow Daoist Xiao. There are still at least five days before the rule fragments descend. You can take your time to consider. This is a Green Bamboo Mirror. If you change your mind, you can use it to contact me."

Ji Zitong took out a palm-sized green mirror and handed it over. It was a special communication dharma artifact that could be used even within the demon god barrier. Lin Zheyu followed her instructions and tested it. Once activated, it could connect to the primary mirror Ji Zitong possessed.

The Green Bamboo Mirror was a paired mother-child dharma artifact. The one in Lin Zheyu's hand was the sub-artifact, allowing only one-way communication. After sending a request, Ji Zitong would appear in the mirror once she accepted it. It was quite remarkable, almost like a video call.

"Many thanks, Miss Ji." Lin Zheyu put away the Green Bamboo Mirror and cupped his hands, saying, "If I change my mind, I will contact you within three days."

"I believe you will agree. We will meet again in three days," Ji Zitong said confidently. She smiled at Lin Zheyu, then left, taking Tu Yuan with her.

After she left, Lin Zheyu asked Lei Yunshu, "Miss Yunshu, what kind of person is Ji Zitong?"

"Ji Zitong is a renowned genius of the Ji Family. She is proud, has a keen eye for judging people, and enjoys befriending talented individuals. Her character is generally trustworthy. But these are based on reputation and hearsay, so they should only be taken as reference," Lei Yunshu said after some thought.

She had a good impression of Ji Zitong. The Ji Family had a strong reputation in Great Wei, and there had been no negative rumors so far. Still, she added that it was only for reference. Lin Zheyu then asked in detail about the rule fragments. Ji Zitong had not lied to him.

Rule fragments appeared when regions within the demon god barrier were fully transformed into demon-tainted soil. At that moment, the two worlds collided and merged, causing the laws in that region to shatter.

Under the influence of the Heavenly Dao, these broken laws condensed into rule fragments and descended upon talented individuals with latent potential within the barrier. Though dangerous, the risk was not as great as Lin Zheyu had imagined for peak Foundation Establishment realm cultivators. On the contrary, cultivators above the Golden Core realm were more likely to be caught in the aftermath of the collision between the two worlds, leading to unpredictable danger.

"I see! Thank you for clearing that up, Miss Yunshu," Lin Zheyu said.

In this world, something seemed wrong with the realms above the Golden Core realm. Not only did advancing require special qualifications, but even the aftershocks of the Heavenly Dao collision brought unpredictable danger to those at or above that level.

"You are too polite, Fellow Daoist Xiao," Lei Yunshu replied with a smile.

"Did Miss Ji invite you to enter some special area?" Lei Yunhan asked curiously.

It was not hard to guess. Many talented members of the Lei Family also teamed up to enter such special areas. The three of them, however, had never been invited because of their insufficient talent and strength.

"Exactly," Lin Zheyu nodded.

"In my opinion, Fellow Daoist Xiao should give it a try. The Ji Family has an excellent reputation in the cultivation world. Ji Zitong has no reason to set a trap here. If you obtain rule fragments, it will bring immense benefits to your future cultivation and may even increase your chances of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. And if you are fortunate enough to obtain them, the Ji Family may extend an invitation and recruit you as a son-in-law."

Lei Yunzhi interjected with a laugh, "With your aptitude, you might even have a chance of becoming Ji Zitong's husband!"

"Uh..." Lin Zheyu froze for a moment, somewhat speechless.